DUNDONALD CHASE F.C.
NEWS ARCHIVE

19 January 2002 - Morden & District League Division 10 (at Cheam Rec.)

Cheam Rangers Reserves 4 (2)
25,31,90,90 pen
DCFC 7 (3)
Gunes 7, Glenn M 18, Damien 24 81, Springy 72 90, Ed 87

Matty seems to be enjoying his new position at left-back

After weeks of bad weather and also that thing called Christmas getting in the way, we finally get it on. Five weeks without a game is long enough to lose your touch, what with the effects of booze and over indulging at Christmas, but it didn't seem to have any effect on our play, well not for the first 25 minutes anyway, when we probably played some of the best football so far this season.

We started lively, making the most of the slope, we could have taken the lead within the opening minutes, the ball just didn't seem to fall kindly enough, when we were causing problems in the Cheam penalty area. Gunes, got us off to a cracker, with, at the time, the contender for DCFC goal of the season, when his 30 yard shot flew past a stranded keeper, to give us an early lead. We continued to play well, everyone was linking up well and Glenn's goal, his second of the season, was a beauty, an example of good team work and top finishing as he raced on to a through ball and fired passed an advancing keeper. There was more to come, the third goal of the game converted by Damien, was another beauty and another example of good team work, great build up play and Damien finishing in great style. All this with less than 25 minutes gone, hang on a minute, we're playing a side who have a 100% record in division 10 this season.

Maybe we got carried away and unfortunately enough for us, we were unable to hold on as Cheam replied twice within 7 minutes. The good work up front was let down by some sloppy defending at the back, once Cheam got themselves back to 3-2, the game seemed to change completely, as we now didn't look the better side anymore, but for the remainder of the half started to look second best.

We knew that a 3-2 lead at half-time was a fragile lead. We had already had the advantage, of playing with the slope, now we faced a very testing 45 minutes, playing against it. Hang on, I said 45 minutes. This is where this game started to get farcical. There were in fact, 58 minutes played in the second half! Apparently the reason for the extra 13 minutes played, were due to time wasting!

We really were struggling now in the second half. The pitch was deteriorating and so was our play. We were struggling to even kick the ball at times. Watching from the side lines you could either laugh or cry, as we were starting to get run ragged, Cheam created enough pressure, although perhaps in all honesty, not enough chances, to have got an equaliser, but after soaking up loads of pressure, we managed to break and score, when Springy got his first goal for the club to regain our two goal advantage. Things weren't going Cheam's way at all, as we later broke again and Damien got his second with another impressive finish. Ed then made it six, as he coolly slotted past the keeper. Then three goals in stoppage time followed, to be honest we deserved to concede a couple more, for our below par performance at the back, Shirin was as guilty as anyone, as he mysteriously gave the ball away and from it Cheam scored. The next was a penalty when Richie handled a Cheam shot and poor old Chara in goal, was helpless to a well taken kick, to make the game 6-4! There was more to come and this was the comical goal of the day, after the Cheam keeper, was yards out of his box (probably trying to push to score Cheam's fifth) and subsequently got rounded as Springy managed to net his second and our seventh.

This will always go down as one of those games that you wont forget. The referee and pitch, helped to make it even more entertaining. It also sees us score seven goals in the Morden & District League for the first time and the first time we've scored seven, since we beat Builders Arms 7-6 back in Xmas 1997.